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SEO
Click here to view this month’s and all previous Think first issues. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
Registration is still open for this year’s in-person Environmental Certification Course being held in Orlando, FL, November 30 - December 2. Course attendees will be educated on industry-specific environmental issues that affect ready mixed concrete production, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, Discharge Permits, Stormwater Management, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Solids Management, Hazardous Materials, Dust Control, Recycling, Spill Prevention Plans, Air Quality Management, Noise Management, Environmental Auditing and much more. 
Buildings
As a leading Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program operator for the concrete industry, NRMCA recently verified three EPDs developed for St. Marys Cement. Each EPD reports the impacts of different cement or masonry products produced at St. Marys' plants in Bowmanville, ON; St. Marys, ON and Charlevoix, MI. Verified cement products include Type I/II, Type III, various masonry types and EnvirocemTM Type IL. St. Marys utilized the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) tool to develop the EPDs. With support from Athena Sustainable Materials Institute and verification independently reviewed by Industrial Ecology Consultants, St. Marys EPDs can be found on the NRMCA EPD webpage. The trend in reporting company and product environmental, social and governance practices is growing and, with environmental impact criteria being discovered in green building construction documents and specifications, procurement decisions are leaning beyond price and performance. Raw material suppliers that can demonstrate a lower embodied carbon for their customers can provide them increasing business opportunities in the future. Integral to the Build With Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency. For support, training, sustainability strategy planning or program development, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138. The responsible sourcing of construction materials is an increasing priority in high-profile construction projects and in public procurement. The Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) is the only industry-specific system that certifies the sustainability performance of concrete plants and their supply chains. On Tuesday, October 26, at noon Eastern time NRMCA will host a webinar titled Responsible Sourcing with Concrete Sustainability to discuss the CSC which aims to improve transparency of the concrete sector, highlight the essential role of concrete as a sustainable construction material and be recognized in green construction standards. If you would like to elevate your sustainability brand beyond EPDs and compete against other industry supply chain certifications, this webinar will explain why it matters and the information needed for your next steps. In 2021 NRMCA became the Regional System Operator for the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) supply chain certification system. By adding the CSC program as an adjacent program to the environmental product declaration (EPD) program, NRMCA strives to add value to members in a growing world of business and sustainability transparency. As part of the Build With Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green construction marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency. Click here to register. For more information, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138. A New Generation of Tilt-up Buildings will be presented on Tuesday, October 12, from noon to 1 p.m. Pacific time as part of the AIA California online Monterey Design Conference. Tilt-up is a method of construction whereby large concrete panels are cast onsite and then raised into position with a crane. The building system, which was conceptualized in the early 1900s, is used throughout North America and across the globe. Once considered a method suitable only for large warehouses, today tilt-up construction is the method of choice for many developers, designers and contractors because of its numerous benefits. It is employed on virtually every building type, from distribution centers to schools, churches, libraries, retail centers and office buildings. This session will present the latest advances in tilt-up concrete technology to provide economical, energy efficient and durable building solutions. Register for free here. The next session of the Global Concrete Summit is set for Wednesday, October 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time. The topic will be high performance concrete, including durability, extended service life models and validation, performance-based specifications to foster sustainability and innovative concrete products and production methods. Click here for a list of speakers along with the free registration link. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at Llemay@nrmca.org or 847-922-7995.
Government Affairs
For more information, contact Taylor Drzewicki at tdrzewicki@nrmca.org. 
2022 February 15 - 17, Dallas April 5 - 7, Dallas September 29 - October 3, Aurora, CO Learning & Development
Class dates are October 18-22, with the online exam on October 25. The curriculum introduces concrete fundamentals for those who need a broad overview of technical and operations essentials. It is appropriate for sales reps, dispatchers, administrative/home office mid-level to executive staff who should have solid knowledge of the industry’s processes and product. This class is NOT appropriate for technical staff or plant managers and batch personnel. Concrete 101 is CCSP’s - Certified Concrete Sales Professional - first of four classes; the other three will be held in person in metropolitan Dallas. Click here for more information, including registration and staff contact information. With hiring and retention of paramount importance in the economic recovery, it is critical that front line ready mix supervisors understand the scope and tasks they are expected to execute. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the most common business lawsuit filed is by employees against their employers - and the employees cite their direct supervisors as the cause. Therefore, the class audience is plant and area managers, operations, dispatch, fleet and driver supervisors as well as QC supervisors. Content includes industry-specific, hands-on exercises to develop solid procedures to increase efficiency and profitability using better communication skills with front line employees. The class will be held in person from November 9-11 in Dallas. Calendar
Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. October 13, Free Virtual Conference October 18 - 20, Orlando, FL October 18 - 22, Online Course October 26, Free Online Webinar November 5 - 15, Online Course November 9 - 11, Dallas November 17, Free Virtual Conference November 30 - December 2, Orlando, FL December 7 - 10, Orlando, FL December 7 - 9, Dallas December 15, Free Virtual Conference 
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NRMCA’s Think First monthly safety initiatives feature different industry-specific safety items relevant to seasons, current topics and/or industry concerns. The initiatives are meant to be shared, used as a training tool, printed, posted and/or distributed; all of which are encouraged. This month’s issue is titled Night Pours… Who’s Afraid of the Dark? (pictured here).
Congratulations to Lori Allen of NRMCA Associate member Command Alkon for being the winner of NRMCA’s CONCRETEPAC Sweepstakes for 2021! Special thanks to one of our Stateman sponsors, Pierre G. Villere of Allen Villere Partners, for drawing our lovely winner (Ms. Allen and Mr. Villere are shown here) at this year's ConcreteWorks. Thank you for supporting CONCRETEPAC and congratulations!